ATLANTA — The Celtics knew they were going to get the Hawks’ best shot on Friday. After two convincing victories in Boston, it was expected. The young and hungry Hawks were desperate, ready to prove themselves, and had a home crowd waiting for them to show it.
The Celtics have thrived in these situations for most of the season, with a target on their back after winning the Eastern Conference last season. But Friday night offered a humbling reminder for these Celtics that the road back to that stage is difficult to reach.
It was almost inevitable, after the Hawks’ two lackluster offensive performances in Boston, that they would heat up in their return to State Farm Arena. They did, and there was almost nothing the Celtics could do about it. Crushed under a barrage of shot-making, the Celtics fell to the Hawks with a 130-122 loss in Game 3 of this best-of-seven first-round series.
The Celtics — fueled by 15 3-pointers in the first half — just couldn’t keep up with the Hawks, who went 67.4% from the field in the opening half. Boston responded to two double-digit deficits as it turned up the defense during stretches in the second half. But Trae Young — who was cold in the first two games of the series — poured in 32 points, including several big shots down the stretch, as they held off the C’s.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Marcus Smart added 24 points and eight assists. Jaylen Brown was held to 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
Dejounte Murray added 25 points for the Hawks.
Other takeaways:
— Derrick White was the best player on the floor on both ends in the first two games of this series. But he picked up two fouls in the first four minutes of Game 3, and the Celtics needed to rely on the luxury they boast with their guard depth. Malcolm Brogdon, the newly minted Sixth Man of the Year, went into the game and immediately proved why he was worthy.
A group of Hawks fans in the corner near the Celtics bench was particularly loud as Brogdon was booed every time he touched the ball. They probably heard the comments he made at Friday morning’s shootaround, where the Atlanta native said that Hawks fans aren’t the most dedicated. But he shrugged them off as he made a pair of early 3-pointers on his way to 13 first-half points.
— Grant Williams fell out of the Celtics’ regular rotation late in the regular season and that theme continued as he stayed on the bench in the first two games of the series. But with 6:27 left in the first quarter, coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t hesitate to send the fourth-year forward into the game with a second unit that included Brogdon, Sam Hauser and Robert Williams. Grant Williams rewarded the faith immediately by hitting a 3-pointer on his first offensive possession. He was extremely active and productive on both ends as he got a steal, drew a charge and then on one sequence, grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul.
— After the Celtics torched the Hawks in the paint in Games 1 and 2, Quin Snyder mentioned it as a defensive emphasis prior to Game 3. But the C’s took major advantage of all the open space they got behind the arc. They made nine 3-pointers in the first quarter, and 15 in the first half. The shot-making was sorely needed as the Hawks made an absurd 67.6% of their shots in the first half. The C’s became the first team in 25 years to make at least 15 triples in the first half and trail at halftime, per ESPN Stats & Info.
